I was never all that big on recreational off-roading, and as far as I can tell, I’m still not. Yet, when I saw the FJ Cruiser concept vehicle in person a little over a year ago, it planted a seed in my head. As the months came up to the FJ Cruiser hitting the lots, I closely followed the news and anxiously awaited pricing. Everything was looking good – too good – and I started thinking how good an FJ Cruiser would look on my driveway.

Fortunately, my logical reasoning (better known as my finances) prevailed and I made the conscious decision that I just wasn’t in the buying mood. Nevertheless, when I got a few unexpected days off of work that happened to coincide with the arrival of the FJ, I couldn’t resist seeing how it performed. Over the course of about an hour I put a Voodoo Blue 5-speed automatic, with the top-of-the-line C Package, to the test.


Exterior
Easily the most provocative element of the FJ is its styling. For those of us that are too young to recall the FJ40, the FJ Cruiser looks somewhat like the lovechild of a Hummer H3 and a Honda Element, somehow gaining a few Toyota chromosomes along the way. For the older crowd, there are a number of touches that hint back to the FJ Cruiser’s roots in the FJ40, with the front grill and circular headlights two of the key touches.

The first time I saw pictures of the FJ Cruiser concept, it did nothing for me. It looked to me like Hummer would no longer dominate the market of big and garish vehicles if Toyota went ahead with production. But when I finally saw the FJ in person, I discovered that was not the case. Alas, the styling had been slightly toned down by that point to represent the production model, but ultimately it was primarily a case of the pictures being deceiving. While it is undoubtedly a vehicle that stands out, it does not come close to being one that’ll inspire people to create websites with pictures of people giving the vehicle the middle finger.

How the general public will receive the styling remains to be seen. At this year’s local auto show, the FJ Cruiser was arguably the hottest item in the building. Only the Pontiac Solstice and the Smart fortwo had comparable crowds around them waiting to get some seat time, both of which have been selling like hotcakes. While driving, I was getting more looks than I’ve ever had before. If I were a gambling man, I’d put my money on the FJ being successful largely owing to its unique and refreshing styling.

A few of the common concerns for the exterior are the protruding taillights and the large C-pillar, both of which are items I hope Toyota addresses with future model years. Having taillights sticking out in places where they don’t normally stick out is bad enough, but when you also restrict visibility, you’re bound to end up with a lot of broken taillights. As for the wish list, a better variety of exterior colours and the option for a sunroof are on the top of my list. A 4-door version would also be something I wouldn’t mind seeing, but I don’t see that happening.


Interior
When images of the interior were finally released toward the end of 2005, a lot of groans could be heard. While the interior is by no means bad or poorly executed, it just didn’t live up to the hype of the exterior. However, as time progressed, the complaints died down and talk went back to the performance and styling. After getting some seat time in the FJ Cruiser, I must say that some of those groans were warranted, but not all of them.

Seats
Despite looking rather unsupportive and extremely firm, the seats aren’t all that bad. The firmness is just right. Thigh support, legroom, and headroom were excellent after making a few manual adjustments. However, I did find lateral support to be lacking, since when taking corners with speed, you just aren’t held in place all that well. The seats are comfortable enough, but I definitely wouldn’t be too keen on going on a road trip in them, especially on twisty roads. Front seats like those found in the 4Runner are much better all around.

As for the 60/40 rear seats, well… they aren’t much use. First off, getting in to them is a little tricky since the FJ is a 2-door with suicide-style doors, not leaving much room for you to squeeze in behind the front seat (although it is better than a true 2-door). Once in, leg room is about typical for this size of SUV, meaning there isn’t much. Coincidently, thigh support is marginal, but the seats are otherwise not too bad as far as rear seats go. Kids won’t mind the back seats, but they’re not a place to be stuffing adults for extended periods of time. The rear seats do fold up like they do in the 4Runner, but don’t fold totally flat. You can remove the seat cushion altogether, which I’m sure would bring it closer to being flat, but I didn’t try it out.

I do like the water-resistant fabric that they use on the seats. It feels durable and of higher quality than what you find in competing vehicles like the Nissan Xterra.

Compartments
The FJ Cruiser has a few compartments strewn throughout the interior, but nothing especially abnormal. The only unusual compartments are in front of the gauges, but they only offer space for small things like maps. The glove box is your average size, with room for an owner’s manual and a few other little odds and ends. The center console isn’t anything impressive, consisting of two cup holders and an open box where you can stash a few CDs, along with a little coin dish. All of the doors have bottle holders, but they’re somewhat hard to get at if you’re sitting in the back.

Dash & Controls
The controls are easy to reach and intuitive. The white and black gauges are easily read, giving you information on your speed, RPMs, fuel, battery strength, and water temperature. The headlight, wiper, and cruise control controls are the same as in the 4Runner and are fairly easy to understand. The steering wheel can come with audio controls, which is a feature I’ve really come to like. The center audio and climate controls were easy to figure out, with the climate controls having bizarrely large knobs. The climate system did a good job of keeping the cabin a comfortable temperature and did not require frequent adjustments. Below the climate controls are a bunch of buttons that I didn’t press, as they’re primarily for off-roading. The gearshift had a zig-zag pattern but moved effortlessly.

The whole dash is relatively blocky, leaving a near-flat dashboard where you can stick papers and other loose things and not have to worry about everything sliding off when you hit a bump. The biggest detractor of the dash is that the audio and climate control console is coloured-keyed to match the exterior colour. It looks fine if you get a black or silver FJ Cruiser, since those are the regular colours of the interior. However, with the yellow or blue models, it looks like some little kids plastic toys were melted down and then slapped in the middle of your dash.

The C Package comes with large additional temperature, compass, and inclinometer gauges placed on the center of the dash. I personally found them annoyingly obtrusive and would have rather just had the same information presented in small digital area next to the speedometer. The C Package also has an upgraded FJammer audio system, which I thought was fairly impressive, but I can’t compare it to the standard audio system.

Cargo Space
Cargo space is decent, but I prefer the size of the 4Runner. A regular-sized adult cannot sleep in the back with the rear seat folded down, whereas you can fit comfortably in the back of the 4Runner. As I discovered on my trip to Alaska, being able to sleep in the back of your vehicle is a very nice feature to have. Beyond that, the size of the FJ Cruiser allows for a good amount of storage space, making it possible to go on a lengthy road trip and not feel cramped. Unfortunately, the door for accessing the cargo area isn’t a liftgate and instead swings out to the side, making it not that great in rainy weather when you’d like a roof over your head while you load and unload items. Although the rear window does flip up, it’s basically useless since the spare tire is in the way.

Visibility
Oh boy.

If visibility is a huge factor for you, the FJ Cruiser probably isn’t the vehicle for you. The large C-pillars and the small windows make it hard to see to the side and behind you. To the front it is better, but it takes some time to get a feel for where you and the vehicle are sitting on the road – largely the result of the seat position. With all that being said, I personally wouldn’t let the restricted visibility sway me far away from the FJ Cruiser. Since I work out of a truck where I have to rely solely on the sideview mirrors, the FJ Cruiser seemed like a step up when it came to visibility, and would simply take some adapting.

Noise
All noises are muffled well in the FJ Cruiser. I noticed the noise of the engine more than anything, but it’s by no means loud and it’s a nice sounding engine that doesn’t whine. Road noise and wind noise were also evident, but not at all obtrusive. Overall it’s a quiet ride where you can easily maintain a conversation. It’s what you’d expect for this sort of vehicle at this price.

Quality
There’s always concern about models in their first year of production, even if it’s a Toyota. Based on my impressions, there wasn’t anything that looked destined to be troublesome. Everything felt and appeared solid, with no rattles or loose bits of plastic. Doors closed with a sturdy thud. The interior is made of all sorts of resin-type materials that appear to be durable and excellent for cleaning, which is something I wish they’d do for the 4Runner. I was quite impressed with the general build quality.


Performance
Even after hearing so many good things about how the FJ performed and seeing the spec sheet, I was still surprised when I got behind the wheel. The FJ Cruiser has a great deal in common with the 4Runner, being built off of a modified 4Runner platform that utilizes the same 4.0L V6 engine on a shorter wheelbase.

Engine
The FJ is no sports car, but it can move. Despite being considerably smaller, the FJ is a chunky fellow that weighs only a few pounds lighter than the 4Runner; in fact, so little that putting a newborn child in the FJ would take care of the difference. Subsequently, the FJ moves nearly identical to the 4Runner, but that’s not a bad thing. With 239 horses and torque at 278 lb.ft., you can blow past most vehicles on the road from a dead stop or at highway speeds. That also means you can tow up to 5000 pounds, which is fine if you’re only doing occasional towing.

Fuel Efficiency
There’s a price to be paid for that powerful 4.0L V6 engine, but fortunately not all that bad of one. At 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, the FJ is actually rather good on gas. However, I would say those numbers are a little too optimistic, since highway driving in my 4Runner gets about 22 miles to the gallon on a good day, and there really isn’t any reason why the FJ would be that much better.

Transmission
Not many SUVs offer the option for a manual transmission anymore, but fortunately the FJ isn’t one of them, having both a 6-speed manual transmission and 5-speed automatic transmission available. Only a 5-speed auto was available for my drive, and I was left very impressed by it. Power didn’t seem to be drained in the least bit by the transmission. It climbed through the gears very smoothly, with the only jolt being when I stomped on the gas and got an immediate response.

Ride
I wasn’t even off of the dealer’s lot before I noticed the remarkably smooth ride. Despite the rugged looks and all of the hype about this being an off-roader’s vehicle, the FJ is wonderful on pavement. You don’t forget you’re in a truck, but bumps in the road are soaked up competently by the suspension and give you a ride that’s smooth and comfortable. I certainly wouldn’t mind using the FJ Cruiser as a daily driver.

Handling
The biggest weakness of the FJ’s performance is its handling, feeling like quite a cumbersome vehicle with numb steering. With a turning circle of just under 42 feet (that’s 4 feet larger than the 4Runner, despite a wheelbase that’s 4 inches shorter), the FJ wasn’t easily maneuvered in tight spaces. On the road, body lean isn’t especially bad, but the lack of supportive seats can’t help but make cornering seem a little tenuous. Even if you’re the sort of person that likes the excuse of it being a truck and not a car, you can’t overlook the FJ’s poor handling.

Braking
Talk about sensitive brakes. Of course, with only 89 kilometers on the odometer, I expected the brakes to be tight and grabby. Even with that in mind, the brakes seemed incredibly sensitive and I had a tough time getting a feel for bringing the FJ to a smooth stop. However, that’s not a complaint, as I’d far rather have brakes that are too sensitive rather than too dull. Even with the occasional jolts that came when I was braking, I didn’t notice the FJ making any sort of nose dives.

Off-Road
I didn’t get much of a taste for how the FJ performs off of the pavement, and certainly didn’t get near putting the FJ to its limits. But with what I did sample, the FJ seemed to do quite well, but not a whole lot different than my 2003 4Runner. The added half inch of ground clearance (9.6 vs. 9.1 inches) and the shorter wheelbase are a definite advantage, but with a turning circle that’s over 4 feet larger (41.8 vs 37.4 feet) and the restricted visibility, I’d have to say I’d be more confident tackling the rough stuff in my 4Runner.

When you look at the more direct competition with FJ Cruiser like the Nissan Xterra and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, there’s not much that favours the FJ. By no means am I saying the FJ isn’t good off-road, as I would expect it to get through most stuff, and it has successfully completed the Rubicon trail with its stock configuration. However, for the serious off-roaders, the FJ isn’t in the running for the best off-road performer.


Price
Despite my previous use of inches and feet, this information pertains to the Canadian models and is therefore in Canadian dollars. Just add $1000 to the below prices if you want the automatic transmission.

Base - $29 900
The base model comes quite well equipped, with AC and almost power-everything. Unfortunately it doesn’t have keyless entry, cruise control, or a rear window wiper. However, it’s the only model that doesn’t come with the ugly roof rack and has the most acceptable price.
Package B - $33 440
For $3500 more, you get keyless entry, a rear wiper, cruise control, ground & back-up sensors, power mirrors, active traction control, the ugly roof rack and a few other small things that are in no way worth $3500.
Package C - $35 985
In yet another overpriced package, you get Package B plus an upgraded 8-speaker/6-disc audio system with steering-wheel controls, a 400W power outlet, rear differential lock, more airbags, useless running boards, and more cheap-looking plastic for the interior. There are also those extra gauges I mentioned earlier. Like package B, there are some nice features, but not another $2500 worth.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m not happy with the available packages. If I had any clout, I’d change it and make three more logical packages available on top of the base model that can be added together:
Sun and Sound - The improved sound system, plus add a sunroof. A reasonable price: $1500
Convenience - Keyless entry, cruise control, a rear window wiper, power mirrors and that nifty power outlet. A reasonable price: $1000-$1500
Performance/Safety - Rear differential, ATRAC, the extra gauges, ground/back-up sensors, and the extra airbags. A reasonable price: $2000

From there, items like the roof rack, running boards, and cheap interior plastic pieces can be purchased as accessories.

How does it compare to the 4Runner?
A great many 4Runner owners have expressed an interest in the FJ Cruiser, myself being one of them. The FJ is a step back toward the earlier days of the 4Runner with its interior and pricing, but with the performance being roughly on par with the current 4Runner.

The 4Runner isn’t marketed as a rugged vehicle—at least not like the FJ—but in reality, the 4Runner is just as rugged and just as capable off-road and on-road. The 4Runner offers far superior visibility in all directions, writing off any slight advantages the FJ might have with its off-road performance. The interior is undeniably more comfy and refined in the 4Runner, offering more cargo space and more pleasant passenger seating.

Alas, the 4Runner costs roughly ten grand more, so it should be a better vehicle. Personally, I think its well worth that extra money – if you can afford it. You get similar performance, similar gas mileage, more storage space, more passenger space, and a higher build quality with better materials. Quite simply, the 4Runner is a more practical vehicle for the average person.


Conclusion
For the most part, Toyota’s new FJ Cruiser pleased me. It’s got a powerful engine, forceful brakes, a fairly well though-out and functional interior, the Toyota name, and one-of-a-kind styling. That being said, my time spent driving it solidified my stance that I would not buy one.

My reasons are simple. For me, handling, supportive seats, and visibility are among the most important factors in any vehicle, and they happen to be the three worst characteristics of the FJ. Add to that that I have a 2003 4Runner that’s been great to me and there’s no sense in downgrading to an FJ.

As for who should buy one, I don’t see it being a large group of people. I don’t see it as a clear choice over its closer competitors like the Nissan Xterra and the Jeep Wrangler. If you’re looking for an outdoorsy family vehicle, the Xterra has the advantage. If you’re looking for a single-man’s off-road vehicle, the Wrangler’s got your number. If you want a mix between the two with the Toyota name behind it and the best styling, the FJ is a decent choice. The FJ Cruiser is a good vehicle, but it needs some work if it’s truly going to dominate this segment of the market.